Molding or trough for electric wires.



No. 640,575. IPatented lan. 2, |900.

H. LEE. HOLDING 0R THOUGH FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

(Application led Oct. 7, 1899.)

(Nu Model.)

TH: mams PETERS co, PHoTQLnHo.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FEICE.

HARRY LEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR OF THlRTEEN-SIXTEENTHS TO RICHARP P. OCONNOR AND IVALLACE OCONNOR, OF SAME PLACE, AND ERNEST IV. BEACH, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MOLDING OR THOUGH FOR ELECTRIC N|RES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,575, dated January 2, 1900.

Application iiled October 7, 1899. Serial No. 732,894. (No model.)

T all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HARRY LEE, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Moldings or Troughs for Electric Vires; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to moldings or troughs to for electric wires, and has special reference to such moldings or troughs for holding the wires while they are being strung within the building, etc. Heretofore while such wires were being strung it was necessary to drive i 5 nails into the grooves of the moldings over the top of the wires in order to hold them in place within the grooves of the molding, and after the Wires were strung the nails were removed and the cover placed over the moldzo ing and wires. The main difficulty with the use of the nails was that they were required to be driven into the molding with force and were exceedingly hard to remove in order to afterward insert the cover on the molding.

z5 Another difficulty with the use of the nails was on account of the great liability of the nail to cut the insulation on the wire, which frequently happened, so rendering it liable to cause the wire to burn the molding at that 3o point and start a lire within the building in which the molding was used.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections and to provide a molding for electric wires which is cheap and simple in its construction and one in which the wires can be easily and securely held while being strung within the molding, as well as one in which the wires can be rapidly strung within the molding without injury to the wires within the grooves of the same.

My invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to construct and use the molding, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- 5o Figure l is a plan or face view of the molding, showing the wires within the grooves of the same. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a like View showing the pegs removed and the cover in place on the molding over the wires, and Fig.

4 is a View of one of the pegs removed.

Like numerals herein indicate like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

As illustrated in the drawings, l represents 6o the molding, which is generally formed of wood and is provided with the bottom or back 2 thereon. Extending outl from the bottom or back 2 are the sides 3 and partition-wall 4, which are adapted to form the grooves 5 5 65 within the molding l. Extending along each side 4: of the partition wall 4 within the grooves 5 5' are a series of tapered seats 6 6', which project downwardly at an incline toward the bottom or back 2 of the molding l, 7o and within which lslots G G are adapted to lit a series of tapered plugs 7, which extend out beyond the sides 3 of the molding l. These plugs '7 act to hold the wires 8 within the grooves 5 5 and are preferably formed of 75 wood, being preferably circular in cross-section and provided with rounded corners at each end thereof.

The use and operation of my improved molding for electric wires are as follows: The 8o molding l is secured to the wall of the building, tre., by screws engaging with the bottom or back 2 of the molding and wall or in any other suitable manner, and the wires 8 to be strung are placed within the grooves 5 of the 8 5 molding singly or in numbers. After this is accomplished the operator can by hand insert the small end of the tapered plugs 7 within the tapered seats 6 to hold the wires 8 in place, after which the wires S can be inserted 9o singly or in numbers within the groove 5' of the molding l and the small end of the tapered plugs 7 placed by hand within the ta- ,pered seats 6 to hold the wires 8 Within the groove 5C After the wires S have thus been 95 secured and strung within the grooves 5 5 of the molding the operator can then by hand remove the tapered plugs 7 'from engagement with the tapered seats 6 6', when the cover 9 can be placed over the top of the molding l, and so secure the wires S within the grooves 5 5' of the same.

lt will thus be seen that my improved molding for electric wires is cheap and simple in its construction and operation and will do away with the use of nails to hold the wires Within the grooves of the molding while being strung. In the use of these tapered plugs they can easily and rapidly beinserted within and removed from their seats in the molding Without force and by hand, and all liability of injury to the insulation of the wires is overcome, thereby preventing iii-es within the building in which these moldings are used.

Various modicationsin the material, construction, and design of the various parts of the device may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

W'hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A molding for electric wires having grooves therein, and removable plugs fitting over said grooves for holding the wires in place while being strung.

2. A molding for electric wires having grooves therein, seats within said grooves,and removable plugs litting in said seats over the grooves for holding the wires in place while being strung.

3. A molding for electric wires having grooves therein, tapered seats within said grooves, and tapered removable plugs fitting in said tapered seats over the grooves for holding the wires in place while being str ung.

4. A molding for electric wires having grooves therein, tapered seats extending within the sides of said grooves at a downward incline, and tapered removable plugs iitting within said tapered seats over the grooves for holding the wires in place while being strung.

In testimony whereof I, the said HARRY LEE, have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY LEE.

Witnesses:

RICHARD OGoNNoR, MARTIN C. KonnnL. 

